nemeth



Feb. 14, 1956 o. R. NEMETH 2,734,282

FINGER NAIL POLISH DRIER Filed July 23, 1954 2 "K it A? I 'I OTTO R. NEMETH,

INVENTOR- HUEBNER, BEEHLER, WORREL 8 HERZIG,

United States Patent FINGER N A'IL'POLISH D'RIER OttoR. Nemeth, 'Los Angeles, Calif.

Application July 23, 1954,Serial No. 445,439

3 Claims. (Cl. 34-202) The present invention relates to a device fordrying freshly painted finger nails, and more particularly tosuch a'device employing radiant heat containing asubstantial amount of infrared rays.

It is an object of my invention toprovide a heating device for rapidly and veificiently drying freshly.painted finger nails.

Another object is to dry the nails in depth by the application thereto of infrared radiation to produce a uniformly dry and durable coating.

A further object is to provide a safe, compact nail drying device capable of being conveniently operated by the user thereof.

These and other objects are accomplished as follows:

A housing or shield of generally hollow construction is mounted on a generally flat base. The housing is provided with an opening to receive the finger tips containing the nails to be dried. Inside the housing is arranged a heating element, preferably one that is electrically heated, and preferably produces a substantial amount of infrared radiation. The heating element preferably is positioned in the housing to direct infrared rays toward the finger nails of the fingers placed in the housing so that accelerated drying of the nail polish in depth can be accomplished by the penetrating rays.

To guard against accidental contact of fingers in the housing with the radiant element therein, a suitable guard of convenient design can be arranged about the element. For additional protection a finger sensing stop, such as an abutment or ridge, can be fixed inside the housing adjacent the guard to automatically prevent finger contact with the guard or the element.

The radiant element is provided with a convenient control means, or switch means, such as a thermostatic switch, for regulating or turning on and off the energy source for the heat or infrared radiation. In the embodiment employing an electrical element, an electric control switch can be mounted on the base of the device, preferably at a point normally under the palm or heel of the hand of a user of the device, while the finger nails of the hand are being dried inside the housing. This switch can be a pressure activated contact switch, a sliding contact switch, or any other type of conveniently activated switch.

A more detailed description of an embodiment of my invention is given below with reference to the drawing; wherein Figure 1 is a sectional elevational view showing the structure of the housing, guard and finger sensing stop as well as the indicated outline of a hand in position in the finger nail polish drier;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing the structure of the base, radiation element and switch of the drier; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2 showing a method of mounting the electric current supply cord in the base of the drier.

The base is conveniently made of a poor conductor of heat and electricity such as a plastic or laminated Wood slab, for example. It preferably is rounded to have an oval shape,.as shown in Figure 2, to comfortably permit the'resting of a relaxed hand thereon, with the palm of the hand facing downward. Parallel grooves 11 and 12 are cut iuside'the outer edge of the forward portion of the base 10 to accommodate tightly fitting spaced pillars 13 and tongue 14 respectively. A sensing stop projection or ridge 16 is formed inside the groove 11 and generally parallel thereto to define the limits to which the finger tips can be extended and spread out on the base10. A well 17 is cut or formed in the rearward portion of base 10 to accommodate a'pressure'contact or a sliding contact switch indicated at'lS, and a groove'19 (Figure 3) is similarly cut or formed in'base 10'to receive an electric cord '21'connected to switch 18. The bottom of well '17 and of a groove "19 are closed by plates 22 and 23, respectively, cemented or fused into the base 10 after switch 18 and cord 21have been mounted therein.

combination grid andguard 24 provided with downwardly extendingsupporting pillars 13, inwardly extending guard'portions 26 and upwardly extending shelfportions 27 and 23, formed or molded on inwardly curved plate portion 29, is fixed to base 10 by tightly fitting the pillars 13 into groove 11. The guard member 24 is formed or molded of a nonconductor of heat and electricity such as a plastic or ceramic material, for example. Suitable cement can be used to additionally secure the pillars 13 in groove 11, if desired.

The radiation element 31 preferably is an electric heating element which, when energized, produces a substantial amount of infrared radiation. The element 31 is mounted on a curved shelf formed between upwardly extending shelf portions 27 and 28 of guard member 24, as shown in Figure I. it is conveniently made by wrapping electric resistance wire of predetermined length and total resistance, calculated to produce the desired temperature and radiation, around a length of asbestos cord and then enclosing the wrapped cord in a Fiberglas sleeve. The ends of the resistance wire are connected to poles (not shown) of switch 18 through lead wires enclosed in base 10 as indicated at 15 and 20.

A second, or additional radiation elements, indicated at 31, can be made as described above and connected in parallel or in series with element 31 to produce a greater area of radiation with lower prevailing temperatures. This second element 31' can be mounted superjaceut the finger nail area in the manner described above, in connection with element 31, or in any convenient manner, such as by the use of brackets as shown in Figure l.

A housing or shield 32, made of formed or molded heat resistant plastic, glass, or other suitable heat resistant material, is fixed to base It by tightly fitting tongue 14 in groove 12. This can be done with the aid of suitable cement. Shield 32 can have any convenient shape, such as that shown in Figure l, or it can be made to have an inner curved edge paralleling that of the edge of base 10 and of sufiicient width to cover only the finger tips of a hand in the position shown in Figure 2. The interior surface of shield 32 preferably is coated with a reflective coating such as, for example, vacuum metallized aluminum, to reflect the heat and infrared rays emitted by ele-- ment 31 toward the finger nails of the user.

In operation, the user inserts her hand having nails freshly painted with polish into the device with the palm of the hand facing the upper surface of base 10, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In so doing, the switch 18 is activated and element 31 is energized to a surface temperature of about 250 to 309 F. by electric current supplied through cord 21 plugged into a voltage source (not shown). Heat and infrared radiation are emitted by element 31 and reflected toward the finger nails of the user. The penetrating infrared rays rapidly evaporate the solvent from the nail polish and dry non-volatile residue thereof to produce a uniformly dried coating. This coating is hardened by the infrared rays to form a durable protective film having an unusually high surface gloss and a very tight adhesion to the finger nail.

It is, of course, to be understood that the details of structure and construction shown in connection with the above-described embodiment of my invention are presented merely for convenience in illustrating and describing that particular embodiment. Many changes and modifications of the illustrated structure and construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An improvement in finger nail driers, comprising a platform adapted to support a hand and including a palmsupporting portion and a finger-supporting portion, a gen erally arcuate hood over the finger-supporting portion, a generally arcuate infrared electric heating means disposed around said finger-supporting portion in an upper portion of the hood above said finger-supporting portion in a position to direct heat immediately to the surfaces of the finger nails, and means supporting said heating means in said hood.

2. An improvement in finger nail driers, comprising a platform adapted to support a hand and including a palmsupporting portion and a finger-supporting portion, a generally arcuate hood over the finger-supporting portion, a generally arcuate infrared electric heating means disposed around said finger-supporting portion in an upper portion of the hood above said finger-supporting portion in a position to direct heat immediately to the surfaces of the finger nails, means supporting said heating means in said hood and a palm-actuatable switch for said heating means on the palm-supporting portion of the platform.

3. An improvement in finger nail driers as defined in claim 1, said arcuate hood having a heat reflective inner surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,215,427 Stocker Feb. 13, 1917 2,262,274 Fingerlin Nov. 11, 1941 2,490,019 Elliot Dec. 6, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,005,277 France Dec. 19, 1951 

